Don't Let Go
by xPockyNoMikox
Summary: One of Oikawa's children returns with a plan to take over the Digital World by using a secret base that only Wormmon knows about. Can Ken save him in time? KenxWormmon (on hold)
1. Excursion

DISCLAIMER: I don't own Digimon! 

A/N: I use the Japanese forms of Digivolution, sorry if it's confusing! (Baby = Fresh), (In-Training = Baby), (Rookie = Child), (Champion = Adult), (Ultimate = Perfect), (Mega = Ultimate)

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Part One: Excursion

A harsh wind blew the sand into her eyes, and she raised her arm to protect her face. This world had been trying to discomfit her all day, almost as if it knew her purpose and was attempting to thwart her. She wasn't about to give up now; her search was not over. No insignificant sandstorm would hinder her. 

And with the Digidestined still complacent and confident from their victory over MaloMyotismon and his pet Oikawa, even they would not be able to oppose her once she found what she was searching for.

Something hard met the tip of her shoe and she stumbled, nearly falling forward. She dug mercilessly at the sand with her foot, determined to find the offensive object and destroy it. The sand gave way easily, and she slowly unearthed the piece of debris.

To her surprise, a grayish cylinder poked out of the bottom of the hole she had created. The object looked vaguely familiar, though she couldn't quite place where she had seen it before. Reaching down, she tugged it out of its burial place and examined it, a sadistic glee settling over her. Neither time nor the elements had damaged it much; the sand he protected it for the most part. It was a whip, long and supple from frequent use.

Smiling complacently, she tucked it in her pocket and continued forward. Her hand caressed it as she walked.

^~^~^~^~^

__

"Stupid night crawler. I don't need you; I don't need anyone!"

I startled awake, breathing hard. The last remnants of the dream became hazy but didn't fade. They remained like fog in my mind, not substantial enough to grasp yet still hazy enough to draw my attention.

The blankets around me constricted, momentarily frightening me enough to elicit an alarmed cry from my mouth. Warmth brushed my stubby arms, and I relaxed slightly. Ken's gentle fingers wound around me in a lattice of reassurance and security. I sighed slightly.

"Daijoubu, Minomon?" Ken whispered as he leaned down to rest his chin on the top of my head. He must have already been awake, for I hadn't felt him sit up beside me. Had I really woken him up because of a silly dream?

__

No, it wasn't silly… it was terrifying.

Forcing those thoughts away, I nodded hesitantly. "H-hai. It was just a dream."

Ken shifted behind me, sitting up fully, and wrapped his arms more securely around me. "It sounded more like a nightmare."

"Ee, I guess it was," I said, attempting to recover some of my composure. It didn't work; Ken nuzzled my head and whispered in my ear.

"Tell me about it." His lips brushed my ear, and I shivered. Unconsciously, I sidled away from him. The dream, though fading, was still strong in my mind, and I could not banish its effects so quickly. I felt his sadness at having me rebuff him, though I didn't know how to apologize for it. This wasn't the first time I'd had a nightmare, but it had never felt this real.

I pressed my short arms against Ken's arm. "Gomen, Ken. It's just- this one scared me," I said quietly, forcing the words past the lump in my throat.

Ken pulled me around so that I was facing him. Darkness cast his features in shadow; only his eyes were visible in the pitch-black gloom. He studied mine, searching, probing, until he frowned slightly. I knew he descried the details of my dream, for the same emotions shone in his features as in mine. Words were not necessary between us; our bond went deep enough to bypass such trivial expressions.

Ken's brief role as the Digimon Kaizer was the cause of many nightmares for us both. They had begun to abate as time passed, but this one was more distressing than any of the others had been. Not because it had been graphic, but because of the sheer reality of it. I had truly thought Ken was going to leave me, broken and bleeding, to die. He'd whipped me several times as the Kaizer, but never to the point of death, and he had never left someplace where I could not heal or be healed. Ken may have been ruthless, but he wasn't heartless.

Except in my nightmares.

"Gomen nasai," Ken murmured, withdrawing his arms from their cradling position around me. I stopped him by squirming forward until he had to place his arms about me. "It's my fault. If only I'd realized sooner-"

"It wasn't your fault," I interjected, resting my head against this chest. "The Dark Spore prevented you from realizing the truth about the Digital World. You're not to blame." I'd said those words so many times that they had begun to sound redundant even to me, who knew they were true. Knowing I'd never truly convince him of this, I sighed. "Go back to sleep, Ken."

Ken absently rubbed his neck. His piercing blue eyes met and held mine for a long moment before he nodded slowly and released me, then lay back down. I closed my eyes but, despite Ken's warmth surrounding me, could not keep out the images, the glimmers of the dream.

^~^~^~^~^

Flashes of light bombarded him, creating a display of color over his face. Completely engrossed in the program on his computer screen, Izzy never heard the appeals of his partner. Only after he had beatent the trigonometry game did his attention turn to the Digivice on his desk and the voice coming out of his computer.

"Tentomon?" he asked, quickly bringing up the Digital Port on his monitor.

"It's about time!" the Child Digimon exclaimed, his insectoid face pressed close to the TV screen. "I've been calling you for almost half an hour!"

The redheaded boy grinned guiltily. "Gomen. I was, ah, doing homework. Doushitano?"

"Check your map," Tentomon said. "We've got trouble!"

The red-haired boy deftly pulled up the map on his screen, scanning it with his eyes. Hundreds of red lights appeared over the mottled blue and green area, totally obscuring some areas. "Nani? What are they?"

"Dark rings!" Tentomon replied shrilly. "They're twice as powerful as Ken's. They've been sprouting up all over the place lately!"

^~^~^~^~^

I blinked as the picture on the monitor changed again, this time to a profile image of Noriko's favorite singer. Other such photographs had been scanned onto her laptop and complied into a vacillating screensaver; Noriko scoffed it often, saying that it was a banal ploy used to occupy her laptop's memory and reassure her mother that she was an "ordinary" teenager.

She was lying.

I'd seen her gaze at it intensively, questing, searching the pictures for some hidden meaning. They reminded her of what she could have been, the life she could have had. They were relics of an existence that never was, nor ever would be. She was correct in stating that those pictures did not depict _her_; they depicted the _'her' _that had never been given the chance to live. 

They were the dreams of a shadow that had long ago been forgotten.

All because of him.

The so-called 'boy genius', Ichijouji Ken. His existence had been the catalyst that sent Noriko's life into its downward spiral, and the orchestrator of my birth into that maelstrom.

I despised him for it.

Noriko's excursions into the Digital World had been growing ever more frequent, and she never deigned to take me with her. Thus, I'd had quite a large amount of time on my hands, and nothing to occupy it with. In my Child form of Dokunemon, I had neither the power nor the ability to do much on my own. So, I spent the hours thinking about and hating Ken Ichijouji.

A blinding light blazed from the computer screen. I closed my eyes, opening them again to the familiar scene of my partner standing before the computer desk, head tilted to the side, eyes narrowed slightly in frustration.

Only this time, she was smiling.

She clutched something in her left hand; I didn't ask what it was, for Noriko would tell me in due time if I needed to know. I watched impassively as she dropped it on the dark wood of the desk and exited the room, sparing not even a glance in my direction. When the sound of her footsteps had faded, I scuttled over to the desk and peered up, but I was unable to see more than a narrow sliver of metal.

__

Oh, Noriko. What toy have you discovered this time?

A/N: Well? It wasn't too bad, was it? It's my first attempt at a chapter story. If it seems confusing, everything will be cleared up in later chapters. I promise!


	2. Reconnaissance

DISCLAIMER: I don't own Digimon!

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Part Two: Reconnaissance

__

"Demo, doushite? Who could have the power to recreate the dark rings?"

All eyes turned toward Izzy for the answer to Taichi's question. Ken blinked as the red-haired boy looked at him, and a feeling akin to guilt rose up in his chest. Though he knew the others had forgiven him for his actions as the Digimon Kaizer, he couldn't help holding himself responsible. Dark Spore or not, the decision to ally himself with the darkness had come from somewhere in his own heart.

"No one should be able to," Izzy said slowly, dark eyes never leaving Ken's. "Ken was the only one who had access to the blueprints… And they've all been destroyed. Right?"

"H-hai," Ken stuttered uncertainly. Almost a dozen pairs of eyes bore into him, and he shuddered. "Of course."

Minomon pressed forward against his arm. "Ken didn't do it," he asserted adamantly.

"We know that," Hikari was quick to reassure him, her soft features smiling up at Ken. "No one thinks he did."

"We just need to know how someone else was able to retrieve those blueprints," Izzy said. "If Ken was the only one who possessed them, very few should have access to them. Has anyone been on your computer lately?"

Ken shook his head. "Iie. They're not on it anyway. All of that… information… I kept in the computer in my base. And that's been destroyed."

"So how could someone recreate the dark rings?" Cody asked.

Izzy spun his chair back around to face his computer. "Ano, if there were a few left over and someone found one, it wouldn't be difficult to create another simply by analyzing it. Although, without the control spires, it would be near impossible to power-" He stopped abruptly, his focus wholly on the monitor before him.

"Nani?" Daisuke asked, leaning over the older boy's shoulder.

Izzy replied without turning away from the screen. "Someone has erected more control spires." His eyes flicked over to Ken once more. "And there're already over two hundred."

Ken tightened his arms around Minomon.

^~^~^~^~^

I could almost taste the emotions roiling through Ken.

Daisuke and the others didn't blame him for anything; I knew this, and I believed that Ken knew it too. But now, staring up at one of the oh-so-familiar control spires, I knew it was difficult for him to remember that. They looked exactly the same on the outside, but I could feel a distinct power emanating from them, different from anything Ken had ever possessed as the Kaizer.

Shoulders hunched and eyes averted, Ken stood behind the rest of the group. I pressed against his leg, wanting to comfort him but unsure how. I was uneasy myself. Something was happening, some new evil growing, and I had a feeling that Ken and I would not be able to escape form this unscathed.

_Is that his destiny? To be haunted by the darkness forever?_

No one spoke for a long while; all eyes were on the matte black monolith in front of us. Some of the others had been able to meet us in the Digital World- all the Digimon were present, and all of the Digidestined save for Mimi, Jyou, and T.K. Hikari clung to her brother, for it seemed that she could sense the spire's evil as easily as I could. The others seemed to be harrowed, also.

Daisuke was the first to break the silence. "What's everyone standing around for? Let's knock it down!" he said, looking at each of us in turn.

"Iie," Izzy said. "I don't think that's a good idea. We don't know its purpose yet; knocking it down could cause more harm than good."

"Demo, it's a control spire!" Daisuke said, waving his hand at the dark tower. "It bad, ne? So wouldn't knocking it down be a good thing?"

Matt shook his head. "Not if it's part of a network."

"Huh?" several of the others said in unison.

Frowning, Matt shoved his hands in his pockets and looked up at the control spire. "Think of it as an amp. It's not part of the central system, but its still necessary for the music to be made because it carries the power. And if it crashes, so does the rest of the system. It's all about the repercussions."

"Arigato, oh King of Rock," Tai said derisively and rolled his eyes.

Matt chuckled. "Anytime."

Ken moved forward suddenly, startling me. He walked to the base of the spire and stopped, his expression hidden by his hair. Hesitantly, he raised his hand and laid his fingertips on the sleek surface of the control spire. I watched a shudder pass through him, but he didn't back away.

"Ken?" Hikari murmured.

"One of the other children," he said.

Daisuke moved to stand beside him. "What other children? What are you talking about, Ken?"

Turning suddenly, he dropped his hand, glanced at Daisuke, and gazed down at me. "The children that Oikawa kidnapped and implanted with the Dark Spore. I can feel it inside the spire." His hand came up to rub the back of his neck, and his eyes darted over to Izzy. "It's Noriko."

A/N: Sorry for the short chapter. This was more of an informative type thing that sets the stage for the next chapter. Please review!


	3. Capture

DISCLAIMER: Do I have to say it again? As much as I love Ken, I don't own him or any other part of Digimon!

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Part Three: Capture

"I have a mission for you," Noriko said, brushing the sand off her skirt. The dim light from the computer, seemingly expended by the effort of transporting the young woman between worlds, outlined her slight frame with its reddish glow.

Noriko glanced over at the small Digimon sitting in the corner or her room. It looked up at her impassively, though, without visible eyes, Noriko could never discern what Dokunemon was thinking.

"Ichijouji Ken has discovered my identity," she said candidly. The Digimon's antenna twitched at the mention of the former Kaizer's name, and Noriko allowed herself a small smile. She knew of the Digimon's animosity toward Ken, and though she wasn't naïve enough to believe it stemmed from a concern for her, she knew she could use it to her advantage. "Secrecy is unnecessary now. It is imperative that I ascertain the location of that base. Ichijouji will be of no help; Wormmon will." 

She looked directly at the small monster. "You have the power to remain in your Child form in this world. Ichijouji's Digimon does not. Use that to your advantage and bring him to me."

"What about Ichijouji?" the Digimon asked, its gravelly voice, usually indifferent and distant, holding an underlying hostility.

Turning away, Noriko shrugged off her light jacket and shook out her brown hair. A slight smile played across her lips. "I will deal with him."

^~^~^~^~^

Iori crossed his arms and scowled at the Daisuke's carpeted floor, which withered guiltily under his gaze. "I still don't he should have gone alone," he murmured.

"Dude, calm down." Daisuke put his hand on the younger boy's shoulder and grinned. "We can trust Ken."

"How do you know?" Iori asked sharply as he wrenched off the other Digidestined's hand. "People don't change that easily, Daisuke. How do you know Ken won't go back to being the Digimon Kaizer?"

Daisuke shrugged and buried his hands in his jacket pockets. "I don't know how. I just do. Maybe it's because I'm his Jogress partner. I can feel it, you know? Can't you feel T.K. when you two Jogress Digivolve?"

Hikari interjected before Iori could respond. "I don't think Ken would turn against us simply because of Wormmon."

The two other Digidestined turned toward her where she was sitting at Daisuke's computer and frowned. "Huh?" Daisuke said.

The young woman turned around, smiling a bit wistfully, and tightened her arms around the sleeping Gatomon in her lap. "After all they've been through together, they've formed a bond too strong to be broken even by the darkness. Ken wouldn't return to being the Kaizer because of his promise to Wormmon; everything he does now is for Wormmon." She absently stroked Gatomon's ear as she continued, though she seemed distracted and far away. "T.K. would understand. He's lost his partner once, too."

Iori's anger seemed to collapse after that, and he looked at the Baby Digimon at his feet. "I still think someone should have gone with him."

^~^~^~^~^

_Hn. Too trusting, Ichijouji,_ I thought as I climbed through his open bedroom window. _Just because you are no longer a threat to the Digidestined does not mean that you are safe._

I'd been surprised when Noriko told me that Ichijouji had left his Digimon at home while he went to speak with her; the two were nearly inseparable. I had never seen Wormmon without his master, even when Ken was the Digimon Kaizer. I considered it a weakness, this attachment they shared.

And weaknesses can be exploited.

Wormmon –Minomon, actually– was sleeping on Ichijouji's pillow, his single antenna curled around his head. I took a moment to study him; I had never understood how he could be so devoted to his partner. I obeyed Noriko, yes, but only because she held the key to my power. Without her, I would never be able to Digivolve, and to live without that euphoric rush would be sheer torture. Power was all I desired; yet this small Digimon had discovered some other aspect of his human partner to love. It would be a lie to say that I was not curious about him.

I realized my time was growing short –it had taken me the better part of an hour simply to get here, for even in my Child form I am not very swift. Ichijouji would be returning soon, unless Noriko had somehow persuaded him to join her crusade. I was betting on the former.

A quick "Worm Venom!" was all it took to incapacitate the Baby Digimon. A flash of fear in his beady eyes, a brief and futile struggle, and he was mine. He never uttered a word. Noriko had given me nothing to transport him in, which meant it was up to me to find something in the little time I had left. I could not carry him and avoid detection at the same time. Finally tearing the pillowcase off the pillow, I shoved him inside and climbed back out the window.

A/N: For those who are wondering, Dokunemon _is_ a girl. If you've read my other Digimon fic, you'll know I like to twist gender roles ^_~


	4. Tryst

DISCLAIMER: Heh… I don't own it…

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Part Four: Tryst

Ken stared apprehensively at the door to the apartment complex in front of him; he was beginning to regret his decision to leave Minomon behind. He was still unsure why he had chosen to come alone, but something told him that he would have a better chance at success if he left his partner Digimon behind. Also, there was a sense of foreboding hanging over him, and he couldn't help but think that it had something to do with his partner. The last thing he wanted was for Minomon to be hurt because of him yet again.

A sigh escaped his lips as he entered and began ascending the stairs. Izzy had been able to discover Noriko's address quite easily, and he had been the only one who wasn't reluctant to reveal it to him. A few of the others still remained distrustful of him, and Iori had had no reservations about voicing his misgivings. Ken knew he should have expected it, but the suspicion still struck him like an arrow in his heart. After the near-disastrous battle with Oikawa and MaloMyotismon, Ken had dared to hope that they would begin to trust him.

Ken hesitated several moments before knocking on the door to Noriko's apartment. An older woman answered –Noriko's mother. Ken blinked, startled, then told her that he was a classmate of Noriko's and asked if he could speak with her. Smiling cheerfully, the woman moved aside to let him enter and led him to Noriko's room.

She knocked twice. "Noriko, sweetheart, you have a friend here to see you." Still smiling, the woman gestured for him to enter and disappeared down the hallway.

Uncertainty rose up in him; why hadn't he brought Minomon? The small Digimon could have given him at least some measure of reassurance, where as now he was fumbling for courage alone. _Minomon…_

"Come in, Ichijouji Ken."

The door swung open slowly, and Noriko smiled. "Well? Don't be shy," she said, sauntering over to her bed. "I've been waiting for you."

Ken entered, closing the door behind him. He stared at Noriko, but the young woman didn't seem to mind. It had been almost a year since he'd seen her; after the defeat of MaloMyotismon, she and her Digimon had disappeared. She was no longer the uncertain girl he remembered crying in Sora's arms. Confidence radiated from her very being, and with maturity had come a certain ruthlessness, a hunger that burned in her eyes. Ken could almost see the Dark Spore glowing in her neck.

"Doushite?" he whispered.

^~^~^~^~^

Noriko arched one delicate eyebrow, smirking slightly. "Nani?"

"Doushite?" Ken repeated. "Why are you doing this? How can you allow the Dark Spore to control you after-"

"Control me?" she scoffed. "Who said it was controlling me? It's merely my source of information." When Ken only looked at her blankly, she allowed herself a small smile and rose to walk over to him. Leaning forward until her hair brushed his shoulder, she tapped the back of her neck. "You let yours whither away because you were afraid to embrace the power it offered. I nurtured mine so that _he_ might have a place to reside when his body was destroyed."

She was rewarded by a widening of Ken's cobalt eyes. "He?"

Lowering her eyelashes, she brushed her lips against his ear. "Myotismon. Who else?" She chuckled at the other's startled gasp. "Why do you think mine was the only one to bloom? You honestly didn't believe that charade I put on for you, did you? A kindergarten teacher." She laughed lightly. "You had so much within your grasp, Ken, and you let it slip away."

"Because it wasn't right!" Ken said, grabbing her by the shoulders. "Myotismon is evil, Noriko. He'll use you like he used Oikawa and me and then toss you aside. I was lucky; I lived. You might not. Onegai, Noriko, listen to me!"

Noriko shivered at the feeling of his hands, watching the emotions glitter in his eyes like jewels. Her hands slid around his neck, and she ran her fingertips lightly over the Dark Spore implanted there. She could feel the entity residing within her reaching out, caressing the Spore to life. Ken's shudder brought a smile to her face, and the mix of fear and hunger in his gaze only increased her delight. She met no resistance as she leaned up to press her lips to his.

"Come with me, Ken," she murmured against his lips. "Play the part of the Emperor again, and I'll be your Empress. Think of the power we could share. Leave this world behind."

Her words finally wrenched Ken out of his reverie, and he shoved her away. "Iie," he cried, his voice hoarse. "I won't betray Wormmon again."

Brushing an imaginary speck of dust off her skirt, Noriko glanced at him slyly through the corner of her eye. _So easy to manipulate… You were so great once, Ken. _"Oh, but you already have," she murmured.

A/N: Ooh, now it's starting to get interesting. Please R&R! Give me some incentive to write the next chapter! Come on, people! I'm not updating until I get at least five reviews!


	5. Interrogation

DISCLAIMER: Come on, it's the fifth chapter, do I have to say it again?

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Part Five: Interrogation

I awoke in an unfamiliar place, lying on a cold surface and engulfed in the metallic tang of blood. From the way my energy seemed to be leaking out of me, I assumed that it was my blood. I remembered the brief skirmish I'd had with the Dokunemon and wondered if these were the same wounds.

Something nagged at my memory, telling me that there was something here I was missing, something important. A glimmer of the past, or a hint of the future, perhaps. But, as my lifeblood effused into a crimson pool beneath me, the urgency dissipated, and I was left exhausted once more.

Soon after I awoke, someone approached from behind, and I felt a sharp pain in my side. The pain cleared the last remnants of unconsciousness from my mind, and I rolled over onto my feet, ignoring the pain the movement caused.

I was in a small metal cell, more of a closet than an actual room. The feeling of urgency returned as a sense of déjà vu overtook me; it was as if I had been here before, yet I couldn't remember where 'here' was. 

Noriko stood before me, smirking contemptuously, a stark contrast to the girl I remembered. Her features had hardened, and her eyes were cold, so cold that the very air seemed to recoil from them. From her hand dangled a leather chord- Ken's old whip. The familiar sight elicited so many unbidden memories that I cringed, the movement earning a harsh laugh from Noriko.

"So, my assumption was correct." She held up the whip, examining the pommel casually. "This did belong to the Kaizer." Her attention turned back to me, her eyes filled with a sadistic glee. Dread welled up inside me, and fear so strong I could taste it, though I knew my fear was irrational. She must have captured me for a reason; I would remain alive until I had served whatever purpose she needed me for. "Now, insect," she continued, "you have two options. You can cooperate with me, or I can whip you until I get what I desire. The choice is yours."

I stared up at her, struggling against my fears and the growing weakness in my body. Where was Ken? He had gone to her house to confirm his assumption that she was behind the events in the Digital World, but we were no longer in her house. I was in my Child form, Wormmon, which meant we had to be in the Digital World. What had happened in the time between Ken's departure and now?

An ominous snapping sound, a quick lash of the whip, and I was back on my side, bleeding from yet another wound. I glared up at the human girl, but my glare instantly turned to a grimace of pain.

"Which will it be?" she asked impatiently.

Trying not to move anymore that I had to –it hurt even to breathe– I looked up at her. Could I afford to defy her? In my present state, I wouldn't be able to survive much more of her treatment. Would I last long enough for Ken to find me? That is, if he was still safe. I wasn't sure what had transpired between him and Noriko.

"What do you want?" I murmured. Hopefully, complying with her for the time being would give Ken enough time to rescue me, or at least give me the chance to escape. Either way, I dreaded feeling the sting of the whip again.

Flicking her wrist disdainfully, Noriko sniffed. "Pathetic. You are all so malleable." I stared up at her, waiting for her to continue. I knew that anything I said now would only earn me another lashing. Her dark eyes bore into mine; playtime was over. "I want access to the computers in Ken's base."

I blinked. "Demo, it was destroyed shortly after– "

"Don't take me for a fool," she snapped, cracking the whip menacingly. "He had a secret base, a back-up where he kept the prototypes for his experimental weapons. I want the access codes to it."

My eyes widened, and a gasp escaped my lips. Everything fell into place; the sense of urgency vanished. I knew where we were. I'd never been inside the holding cells in Ken's hidden base, which was why I hadn't recognized it at first. But the design, the scents, they were all familiar. I knew this place, and I hated it. No one had known about it save for Ken and I, and even Ken no longer remembered it. He'd been able to banish it form all but his nightmares. "How did you know about this?" I whispered.

Grinning smugly, Noriko cocked her head and put her hand on her neck. "A little bird told me… Or rather, a little _bat_."

^~^~^~^~^

"Iie, gomen Ken," Hikari said, "but Minomon's not here."

Ken sighed, the beginnings of fear starting to crawl up his spine. He'd left the small Digimon sleeping peacefully only an hour ago, and now he was nowhere to be found. If Minomon hadn't come here, where could he have gone?

A hand fell on his shoulder, and Ken turned to face Daisuke. "Genki dase yo, Ken-chan! He can't have gone far. I mean, DemiVeemon's got more legs than Minomon does, and he can only crawl about two feet an hour at the most."

"I heard that!" the Baby Digimon yelled from somewhere under the bed.

Daisuke grinned. "Maybe he went to the Digital World," he suggested. "He could have gone to T.H.'s or Miyako's and gotten them to open a Digiport…"

Ken nodded reluctantly. Though he knew the improbability of Daisuke's suggestion, he had no other option but to follow along with it. After all, he had run out of ideas himself, and he had no doubt that if he actually sat down and thought about the situation, he would lose himself in distress. Wormmon was everything to him; he couldn't handle knowing that his partner had come to harm because of him. _I never should have left him alone._

Hikari rose from Daisuke's computer chair, making room for the two boys at the desk. She brushed Ken's hand with her own as she moved to join Iori on the bed and offered him a smile. "It'll be okay," she said quietly. "I'm sure Minomon is fine."

"Arigato," he replied, not meeting her eyes. He wished he could smile and agree with her, but he knew something was amiss. He could sense it. Darkness was drawn to him like a magnet, and he had no reason to think it would leave him alone now, especially with Noriko asserting her strength in the Digital World.

He'd emailed the important details of their conversation to Izzy after he'd left Noriko's and then went home to check on Minomon. When he'd found his bedroom empty, he had gone straight to Daisuke's, hoping that his partner had gone there. Without his D-3, Wormmon couldn't Digivolve, which made it difficult for him to travel, and neither could he enter the Digital World- unless he had gotten one of the others to open the Digiport for him. It was the last place Ken could think to check.

An email alert appeared as soon as Daisuke powered the computer up. Sighing, Davis began to delete it, but Ken stopped him in hopes that it was one of the other Digidestined telling Daisuke that Wormmon was with them.

It wasn't.

The contents were short and simple: _"Ichijouji Ken. Your partner is safe with me. I will return him when I am finished. Your Empress."_

"'Your Empress'? Eh, you gotta girlfriend, Ken?" Daisuke jeered, jabbing him in the ribs with his elbow.

"Iie," Ken whispered, breath ragged. "It's Noriko."

^~^~^~^~^

Pain exploded down my back as Noriko lashed me again. I twisted aside, but I could not avoid the stinging tip of the whip. Noriko was much more skilled with the weapon than Ken had ever been; she was merciless and uncaring, and she enjoyed the power the weapon gave her. It did not matter to her whether I lived or died as long as she got what she wanted out of me first.

"Dammit, you cretin, tell me the codes!" 

The whip came down again, this time with enough force to stun me for a moment. When I finally regained my senses, I glared up at her, knowing I would pay for it but unable to keep silent any longer. "Iie. I swore to Ken I would never speak about it to anyone. I won't break my promise."

Noriko paused, staring down at me curiously for a long moment. I stared back defiantly then blinked when she broke into laughter. "Oh, you poor, piteous fool. Why should you keep your promises to him when he's already broken his?"

"That wasn't his fault!" I cried, then winced at the sudden pain. "The Dark Spore-"

Noriko cracked the whip again, serious once more. "Hai. The Dark Spore. Which he still bears. And as long as it has even a single root within him, he cannot escape it influence."

"If you know so much," I murmured, "why can't you discover the access codes on your own?"

"Because the Kaizer was somehow able to conceal the codes, even from the Dark Spore buried inside him," Noriko replied bitterly. "His strength of will was immense. It is a shame he did not employ it in anything useful."

"Iie," I whispered. "You're wrong."

A/N: Well? Whatcha think? If you've read this far, you must like it, so TELL ME!!! Anyone who reviews gets free pocky sticks. (I am the Pocky no Miko, remember!)

Oh, and by the way, I'm taking a break from this story for a while. I haven't been getting many reviews (thanks Another World!) and I've got other projects that I'll be working on. (Go check them out!) I'm not abandoning this completely, though, so if I get some more reviews I'll consider restarting it.


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